- The Journal reports that the Climate Change Advisory Council has warned that the Government should end fossil fuel subsidies and allocate more funding to replacing fossil fuels with clean energy alternatives. The climate experts are calling on the State to end Ireland’s reliance on “harmful, expensive and unsustainable” fossil fuels while providing supports to people whose livelihoods may be the most affected by the transition. https://www.thejournal.ie/government-must-stop-subsidising-fossil-fuels-climate-change-advisory-council-6521544-Oct2024/
- Midlands103 reports that the Irish Road Haulage Association (IRHA) has met with several MEP’s in Brussels to discuss HVO fuel, as well as the introduction of a driving licence to cover all of Europe for transport workers. President of the IRHA, Ger Hyland, says Irish truck drivers face structural challenges that come with being on an island. https://www.midlands103.com/news/midlands-news/irish-hauliers-meet-meps-over-sustainable-fuel-debate/
- Reported by the Irish Independent, as many as 1,347 businesses in Wicklow stand to benefit from the €4000 Power Up grant, which aims to help small and medium-sized enterprises with the significant surge in energy costs. The newly announced grant, which will be allocated before Christmas, has a national budget of €170m. https://www.independent.ie/regionals/wicklow/business/up-to-1347-wicklow-businesses-to-benefit-energy-costs-grant/a1793165416.html
- EuroWeekly News states that Spain have been outlined as one of the slowest countries in their uptake of electric vehicles. The article noted that in 2023, plug-in hybrids and electric vehicles constituted 26% of car purchases and registrations in France, 31% in Portugal, but only 12% in Spain. https://euroweeklynews.com/2024/10/23/spains-slow-shift-to-electric-wheels/
- According to the New York Times, gasoline is approaching, or has already fallen below $3 a gallon in most states, returning to a national average not seen since February in ‘one of the clearest examples of prices declining after a period of rapid inflation’. Prices at the pump averaged $3.16 for regular gas on Tuesday in the US, down 11% from this time last year. https://www.nytimes.com/2024/10/22/business/energy-environment/gas-prices-oil-trump-harris.html
